Can Vaseline cause breast cancer, as posited by X user?

Claim: An X user posited that Vaseline contains chemicals that cause breast cancer, age the skin quickly and disrupt hormones. 

Verdict: False! Vaseline or petroleum jelly that has been purified does not contain carcinogens or cancer-causing chemicals.

Full Text

Vaseline is a basic skin care product that forms a protective barrier on the skin, helping to lock in moisture and prevent dryness. It is derived from petroleum jelly, acts as a skin protectant, and is effective as an occlusive. 

Vaseline is used as a skin moisturiser and sometimes for lip care. Its usage is determined by personal preference and specific skin conditions an individual wants to treat. Vaseline is a brand name for petroleum jelly, and the two names are sometimes used interchangeably.

Amidst the trending reactions to Manchester United’s Andre Onana spotted applying Vaseline on his glove during a football match, an X user made a comparison post between shea butter and Vaseline. 

The user stated that Vaseline contains chemicals that cause breast cancer, age the skin, and disrupt hormones. On the other hand, the user recommended shea butter as an alternative to Vaseline.

Comments under the post reveal varying views from users, with some validating the claim while others opposing it.

A user, @Exciting_clips, commented, “Tell us exactly the chemicals in Vaseline that cause cancer.”

Another user, @fisayomiiii, said, “Vaseline contains mineral oil/petrolatum, which damages the DNA and is carcinogenic. I’ll go with raw, unrefined shea butter.”

As of this report, the post has garnered 2,800 likes, 862 retweets, 141 comments, and 810 bookmarks.

Vaseline is a common skin product used in homes as a moisturiser or lip balm. It is generally considered safe for human use. However, the recent controversy surrounding its use, with concerns that it contains chemicals that can cause cancer, necessitated this article. 

Verification

Available studies show that the aspect of petroleum jelly/Vaseline associated with cancer risk is its crude and unrefined form, which may be contaminated with toxic Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), certain types of which have been categorised as carcinogenic.

While unrefined versions may harbour harmful ingredients, refined petroleum jelly is generally considered safe.

The purity of petroleum jelly varies depending on the quality of its production process.

For instance, the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep scoring system indicates that Vaseline has a low level of exposure to carcinogens and other dangerous ingredients that could lead to cancer.

The Skin Deep scoring system conducts hazard ratings on cosmetic products based on their ingredient concerns. 

The rating system also affirmed that Vaseline does not contain ingredients that expose users to allergies, immunotoxicity, or developmental and reproductive toxicity, making the product safe for human use.

Additionally, an explanation of the myths surrounding Vaseline on the Unilever Vaseline website indicates that Vaseline has no known side effects on its users. The explainer answers a question about whether there are side effects from using petroleum jelly or Vaseline. 

The answer reads, “Vaseline Jelly is formulated using a patented triple-purification process. This means the finished product has been purified three times to remove all impurities. It’s non-irritating and hypoallergenic.”

In an article by Good Housekeeping, Dr Marina Peredo, a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, commented, 

“There are no clinical studies that demonstrate that the use of petrolatum or petroleum jelly promotes cancer. Today’s formulas have been purified and tested and are cleaner and healthier than ever.”

Scott Rackett, M.D. and Nourage Ambassador, also said, “There is no scientific evidence that short-term or long-term use of Vaseline causes cancer or any other health risks.”

DUBAWA contacted a dermatologist, Dr Ayo Aranmolate, on the concerns that Vaseline contains chemicals that cause breast cancer.

He asked, “Where do people see this kind of information? Anyway, I am not aware of any specific cancer caused by Vaseline.”

DUBAWA also contacted the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about whether Vaseline could cause cancer. The FDA is a federal agency responsible for protecting public health by ensuring the safety and efficacy of human and veterinary drugs and biological products.

In an email to DUBAWA, the FDA noted that the National Toxicology Program (NTP) “has a report on carcinogens, and petroleum jelly/petrolatum are not on the list.”

The NTP report is a cumulative document that consists of 256 listings of substances and chemical, physical, and mixtures that are identified to cause cancer in humans. In its 115th report, released in 2021, petrolatum or petroleum jelly was on the list.

Conclusion

Available studies and contributions from experts indicate that Vaseline or other brands of petroleum jelly are safe for use, provided they have a standard refining history.

This fact-check was produced as part of the DUBAWA 2024 Kwame KariKari Fellowship in partnership with Dataphyte to facilitate the ethos of “truth” in Journalism and enhance media and information literacy in the country.